Boston

[W. Gray]

South Kansas Tribune (Independence), December 27, 1871.

"BOSTON

"This is the name of a new and very prosperous town, in the midst of a rich farming district, near the center of Howard county, about thirty-eight miles west of this city. They have several live business men there, among whom we mention Mr. J.A. Oliphant and Mr. Edward Kinney, and are driving things in their line, and working zealously for the town.

"We wish them much success, and hope they may succeed in getting the mail route established, they are now laboring for, as the citizens there greatly need it."


Boston was chartered by the state on June 8, 1871, and a post office established in August 1871.

J.A. Oliphant was a stockholder in the Boston Town Company and was successful until the Boston War killed his business, but he later became the city treasurer and the police judge of Howard. After that, he practiced law in Howard.

Even though the charter has the name Boston, the mostly Irish Catholic citizens called the town New Boston after Boston, Massachusetts, for the first couple years.

The former Boston town site begins one mile west of K-99 on Valley Road.